Persons who are engaged in outdoor activities invariably find that they need protection from the sun. This need for protection is most notable with respect to the person's eyes since exposure to the sun over prolonged periods of time will not only produce physical strain, but can result in impairment of vision and damage to the person's vision system. One commonly used device to alleviate this problem is a hat or cap or other type of head covering device which includes a forwardly projecting visor, bill or brim which extends a distance forwardly from the person's forehead and provides a shade producing element that tends to reduce the likelihood of the sun's rays being directly incident to the eyes of a person wearing such protective headgear. A second commonly used device to provide protection for the eyes is the sunglass or other protective lens structure having characteristics such that it will attenuate or minimize the effect of the most damaging components of the lightwaves such as those within the ultraviolet spectrum. The sunglasses that are generally worn for eye protection of this type are usually not of an optical type such as in the nature of prescription type glasses and are designed primarily for the sole purpose of attenuating the lightwaves that would be incident on the person's eyes and to thereby minimize the physical eyestrain as well as possible damage. Sunglasses for this purpose also are available in many styles and configurations with the different types ranging from separate eyepieces that are maintained in association by a frame structure with each eyepiece positioned in front of a respective eye, to those which consist of a molded sheet of plastic material that is of a continuous nature, or wraparound style extending across the front of the wearer's face and covering the eye section. These glasses also are of a type wherein the frame or an integral part of the lens structure incorporates or is formed with frame elements that extend along the side of the wearer's head and are adapted to engage with the ears and to thereby in cooperation support the front lens structure on the wearer's nose maintain the glasses in an operative position on the person's head. It is also not uncommon for a person to wear both types of protection, namely the headgear with the sunlight blocking visor as well as a sunglass structure which will cooperatively function to block and to attenuate lightwaves that will be incident to a person's eyes.
While the headgear and eyeglass combinations are capable of performing their respective functions, there are some disadvantages due to the fact that the eyeglasses are uncomfortable to wear and they also present a problem in keeping them readily available It is not uncommon during the course of outdoor activities that a person may desire to remove the sunglasses for periods of time to avoid their interference with the wearer's vision, but then it is a problem to retain the glasses and have them readily available again for use when desired. This problem of convenience has been previously addressed and resulted in structures which are the subjects of two previously issued patents. These patents are U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,274 issued Apr. 11, 1989 to Shenq Day and U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,753 issued Dec. 25, 1979 to Sue Aronberg. Each of these two patents disclose structures whereby the problem is solved to a certain extent by providing means for storage and carrying of the eyeglasses in a non-operational position with respect to the headgear portion such as a cap or a visor with headband. Such structures have not been found to be fully satisfactory as substantial difficulty is experienced in either placing the glasses in use or returning them to their stored position.
Another patent illustrating a structure directed to this problem of providing association of eyeglasses and a cap structure in attempting to achieve convenience is U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,056 issued Mar. 23, 1915 to Isaac Pachner. Again, this particular structure does not provide the desired degree of convenience in that there is some difficulty associated with moving the eyeglasses from a utilization position to a stored position on the hat. Also, this particular apparatus does not alleviate the problem introduced through physical contact of the eyeglass with the wearer's head, and thus, there is physical strain and discomfort induced in that aspect.
Two other patents that are also directed to this combination type structure of protective eyeglass and headgear are U.S. Pat. No. 1,216,635 issued Feb. 20, 1917 to Earnest Washington and U.S. Pat. No. 1,781,832 issued Nov. 18, 1930 to Erswell Crenshaw. These latter two patents also have the disadvantage of producing physical discomfort in that the eyeglasses are retained against the wearer's face through an elastic band structure, but these structures also have the further disadvantage in that the placement of the eyeglass section in a stored position not only requires removal of the headgear so that the storage can be accomplished, but when so stored, the eyeglass portion is in contact with the wearer's skin or hair and can thus become covered with perspiration or materials that are applied to the person's hair and thereby impair the ability of a person to view objects through the eyeglass.